Race Reports
As consolation am offered a ride on a friend's Bandit but can I get insurance. Not a hope in hell. One old bloke, clean full licence, been riding for over twenty years no claims etc etc and I can't get insurance. I can't insure the bandit so I see if I can insure the KR and get to ride 3rd party only on any other bike. No problem I am told - just give us your money. By now I am getting desperate for a two wheel fix so sign up for a policy. Yes! I can go for a ride - no you can only have a 3rd party policy if you insure a bike bigger than 350 cc. So I say insure me on a bike bigger than 350 cc. Sorry sir a KR is only 250 cc - I don't care I just want to give you my money so I can go and ride a bike - sorry sir you need a bike over 350 cc. Everybody else disappears of for a ride and I retire to the garage to look at the KR. Notice a little bolt securing the water pipe. undo bolt and pipe moves just far enough to pop the O ring out and then back in. Hey presto we have a water tight bike again only problem is I haven't run it in. As the bike has a new crank and pistons it would be nice to get a bit of time on them before hammering it. Still things are beginning to look up. Finish assembling bike then down the pub. The forecast doesn't look to good but what the hell good beer and a cosy pub fire who cares. Head off to bed around 10pm reminding Rock who is spannering for me that the clocks go back so it is a 5am kick-off not 6am as originally planned.
Cadwell- Sunday wake up at 4:45, a totally obscene hour of the day to getup. Phone Rock to wake him up - no answer. Try his mobile still no answer. Start hitching the caravan myself. Phone Rock - no answer. Drive down to Rock's and bang on the door- no answer. It is freezing outside. Realise I have left my coat at home so walk back. Phone Rock - no answer. Back to Rock's bang on the door - no answer. It is now 6:50 real time, I decide to give him one more go and then he will have to come up with Paul who is due up later in the day. Finally get an answer. Turns out after the Pub, he went down the club to watch a band then over to somebody else's before finally turning in at about 3:30 old time. Got to Cadwell at 9:20 - not bad 2 1/2 hours drive with caravan. Car won't make more than 55 into a head wind when towing. Both bikes scrutineered then sign on. Still on last years licence as the new one hasn't come in yet. Have a peek in the programme to see how many Krs made it in. Team T3 are in, John, Mark and Brian, Team Smokin Fox Rich Davis, and Team Shark Nick and Al Tomkin. Wander over to see Team T3 and you have to see it to believe it. This is the Team that ran 3 sheds last season. They had (Mark Brown excepted) the tattiest bikes in the paddock. This season you wouldn't believe it. They easily had the best turned out team of bikes in the paddock. Still don't believe it. Next up to say hello to Nick and Al Tomkin then over to Rich Davis. Seven KRs was not a bad turn out. Jim Hinchliffe said he had to turn down 3 entries as the grids were full - so looks like we should have getting on for 10 bikes later in the season. The weather is crap - it is 4.5C with a brisk easterly breeze, i.e. it is freezing. To make matters worse the Paddock is a sea of mud. The 125 race is immediately before the F400 so, given the weather and mud decide to skip it and concentrate on the KR. First practice did 3 gentle laps reving to 7000 - the engine was not getting warm with one strip of tape on the rad so back in. Next practice Rock added a strip and a half of tape over the rad. Took it up to 8000 and got 4 laps in temperature looked ok. Well thats the engine run in 7 laps about 10 miles? For the race will take the half strip off. Put the warmers on the bike and a nice set of blankets Ellie made for me and headed of to the cafe to warm up. Watched the first four races from the cafe. Noticed that the starter lifted the flag and dropped it straight away. As he did this for all the races I watched decided that as soon as he got the flag to the up position I would launch. Race tactics we decided down the pub a few days ago. Basically, follow Pete Whiteside until the last lap then get him. The 400s are quicker down Park straight but I am quicker through Chris curve, the gooseneck and down into Mansfield. If I can pass on the last lap I should be able to hold him off to the flag.
Race 1 F400 - I am on the fourth row. Paul Daley and David Marsh are on row 1, Stuart Bedford is on 2 and Pete Whiteside is on 3. Behind me Rich Davis, John Buchan and Mark Brown are on 5, Nick and Al Tomkin are on 7 and Brian Mattock is back on 8. Get a good start and tuck in behind Pete Whiteside in about 5th or 6th place. Pick of a CBR400 (chris Pullen row 1 start), Paul Daley and Dave Marsh (both ZXR400). A bright orange RGV comes past me and then goes past Pete Whiteside. On about lap 3 Stuart Bedford goes down at the Gooseneck. Pete passes a silver ZXR400 (Steve Heneghan) I line up the ZXR for a pass but get delayed by a back marker (I am just not aggressive enougth passing them). Catch up with the ZXR again but as usual get out dragged from the hairpin and on the climb up coppice. Must have been slow coming out of Charlies as the CBR goes past me on Park as if I were standing still. Get held up by another backmarker and end up following the CBR home. The RGV won, Pete Whiteside second and I was back in fifth. Silly really a bit more aggresion and 2nd was on the cards. I don't think I could have stayed with the RGV. Stuart Bedford got the fastest lap but.... Rich was the second KR home, followed by Mark Brown, Brian Mattock, John Buchan and Nick Tomkins. Al Tomkins was a DNF mechanical failure. Check Rich's page for his account of the race. Track was damp to dry but very cold. Not a bad showing for the KRs, 6 finished as did 6 ZXR400, 5 FZR400, 3 Aprilias, 3 RGV, 1 CBR400, 3 NC30/35
Race 2 GP250 - I am on the fourth row again in a mixed class race 601-1300 Fourstrokes + GP250. Tracks now wet and everybody is on wets, I am still on inters. Get a cracking start getting up to the about 8th by the middle of Coppice passing Dave Page who had a 2nd row start. A bike cuts up a GSXR750 just infront of me the GSXR backs off then gives it a massive handful. Back steps out and the bike trys to throw the rider off. He manages to stay on but has scattered everybody around him. Out of Charlies and I get passed by Rob Mawby and another Honda RS250 on Park straight. Manage to get back past a 600 at the hairpin by outbraking him then running wide forcing him to backoff. Gave me just enough of a gap to get to charlies and break away so he couldn't repass on Park. Finished 13 overall, 3rd 250 home (though notice MCN listed the guy who can 4th as 3rd?)
Race 3 F400 - Turn the caravan upside down then wander round the paddock trying to scrounge a spacer. In the sprocket carrier there is a spacer that plugs into the bearing. Can I find it? Nobody has one so I am going to have to soilder on Inters - everybody else is going on to wets (Rich Davis has been running Inter front wet rear). Races are now 4 laps because of delays as a result of a nasty crash ion the novice race. There is oil all over the track at the exit to Coppice and teh entry to Charlies. I am on the 2nd row this time and get a reasonable start. Then just start slipping back. Stuart Bedford comes hurtling past on lap 3. Then the race is over - thankgoodness I was riding really badly. Normally in wet and slippery conditions I get my best results but this one is terrible - 9th. Still first KR home so it some consolation. Rich Davis was 2nd KR home so got £20 prize money, Brian Mattock came in 3rd for a £10 prize. A Brian improved on his first race finish gets an extra point in the championship. Then we had Mark Brown, John Buchan, Al Tomkins and Nick Tomkins (I think - sorry chaps I was in such a rush to leave after the last race Forgot to pick the result sheet).
Race 4 GP250 - This is race 23 now the last race of the day. The club have had to cancel the last 3 races because of delays and bad weather. On the fourth row but the grid is a bit thin in front of me - only 6 bikes. A Honda RS250 next to me and way back on row 8 one lone Aprilia - only 9 of us in the race. Still means guaranteed points, just need to beat the Aprilia for a 4th place in class as theer are 3 Honda RS250s on the grid. Get a good start out dragging a ZX9R infront of me. As usual everybody passes me on Park but latch on to the back of two of the Rs250s. Can stay with them easily. On about lap 2 Rob Mawby went down at the end of Park so now got a guaranteed 3rd. Decide as it is the last race of the day, it is wet and very cold - and the Aprilia is nowhere to be seen to let the Hondas go and ride for a 3rd place. Reckon I am equal 2nd in the 250 class ahead of Rob. A good position to be in as Rob isn't doing Anglesey, and I know I can beat any of the regular Derby Phoenix 250 riders at Anglesey (apart from Rob).
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